“As the names of loved ones are read out loud outside the Inquiry today, and as a fifth of the population believes that Covid was a hoax, it is imperative that we do not forget the huge losses of life that occurred. That we do not forget that every individual who lost their lives was precious, a loved one, and left behind so many grieving hearts.
“It is vital that we do not forget that such vast numbers of people died of Covid – around a quarter of a million – and that two-thirds of those people were Disabled people.
40% of deaths were care home residents. 30% of these people died in care homes, a further 10% were taken to hospital where they died. Disabled people living at home were left until last to receive testing and PPE and as a consequence, many died. Younger people with learning disabilities were disproportionately impacted and as a demographic suffered greater numbers of deaths.
“We will not stop saying this: Disabled lives were completely disregarded during the pandemic, and still are. Our needs were swept under the carpet of new legislation – with our rights under the Care Act abolished under the Coronavirus Act 2020; with the mismanagement of policy which saw care homes ravaged by the virus, the lack of in-home care, the lack of supplies including food and medicines, the lack of PPE available to afford us protection, and the mis-application of guidance regarding our right to life and resuscitation in hospitals and care settings.
“From today, the full human and emotional costs will begin to be heard. Statements like ‘lessons must be learned’ sound cliché and forgettable, but how can they not? How can a quarter of a million people be forgotten, and seen as collateral damage? We cannot forget. We must learn. And those who made decisions which resulted in this national disaster must be brave enough to be accountable.”